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Overview and the opportunity
What is Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace?
Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace is a Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program offering that empowers software development companies as they build and publish, grow, and differentiate solutions through Microsoft Marketplace. It consolidates ISV Success, Marketplace Rewards, Azure IP co-sell, and Solutions Partner* with certified software designations** into one unified offering, following the progression of a partner's journey from building a solution to scaling revenue:
Build and Publish → Grow → Differentiate
- Build and publish: Move from building a solution on the Microsoft Cloud to publishing a Marketplace-ready offer.
- Grow: Progress from publishing on Marketplace to driving early Marketplace transactions and pipeline generation.
- Differentiate: Go from early traction to differentiated, scalable growth.
By using technical and go-to-market guidance, benefits, and incentives aligned to this journey, partners can move through each stage with clarity — with Microsoft Marketplace as the commercial foundation for discovery, transaction, and performance measurement.
Why is Microsoft launching Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace now?
Customers are looking for solutions that move them quickly from idea to implementation to impact — and they want to find, try, and buy those solutions in one place. According to Omdia, software sales through hyperscaler cloud marketplaces are projected to reach US$163 billion by 2030.†
Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace empowers partners to meet this moment, giving them a clear pathway from solution development to monetization and differentiation, with Microsoft Marketplace as the central foundation and engine for growth, where you can:
- Unlock benefits as you meet Marketplace milestones — starting with getting your solution Marketplace-ready and enabled for transactions.
- Progress toward co-sell eligibility as your solution meets the required criteria.
- Scale revenue as you advance through the Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace journey.
- Distinguish your solution to customers and Microsoft sellers by becoming eligible for certified software designations.**
By using the consolidation of ISV Success, Marketplace Rewards, Azure IP co-sell, and certified software designations, partners can now ship, sell, and get rewarded for innovative solutions — all in one streamlined offering.
Who is Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace designed for?
It's designed for software development companies whose growth comes from building, packaging, and commercializing software solutions — rather than one-off services. These partners typically pursue product-led growth, plan to sell alongside Microsoft sellers and partners, and use Microsoft Marketplace to expand growth beyond their existing go-to-market channels.
What is the Build and Publish → Grow → Differentiate journey?
It's a single, staged path through Microsoft Marketplace. Each stage marks meaningful progress for your solution and has its own entry criteria and milestone-based benefits:
- Build and Publish (readiness): prepare your solution and publish a Marketplace-ready offer.
- Grow (early monetization): drive your first Marketplace transactions and early pipeline.
- Differentiate (scaling): amplify established Marketplace momentum, expand deal size, and deepen co-sell engagement.
Benefits are cumulative. As you advance, you keep access to the benefits of earlier stages. You might be active in more than one stage at a time.
What role does Microsoft Marketplace play?
Microsoft Marketplace sits at the center of the journey. It serves as the commercial foundation for discovery, transaction, and performance measurement. Through Marketplace you can reach a large global buyer audience; sell and transact at scale; support product-led, self-service buying motions; and extend reach through channel and partner-led selling.
When will Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace be available?
Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace is planned for general availability on September 4, 2026. Before GA, Microsoft hosts partner briefings. An external partner briefing is scheduled for August 26, 2026. The briefings walk through what's changing, how benefits map to each stage, how migration works for current ISV Success and Marketplace Rewards members, and how to enroll.
Experiences and pricing
How do I participate? What are the two experiences?
You engage through one unified experience, with flexible options for the level of guidance and Microsoft collaboration you want:
- Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace is available at no cost to eligible partners. It offers structured, performance-based benefits with Marketplace-aligned milestones that you can progress through at your own pace.
- Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace Premium is available for a fee to partners who want to progress through the same journey with additional benefits and closer engagement with Microsoft.
Both options align to the same journey, outcomes, and commercial milestones. Whether you prefer to move at your own pace with in-house resources or tap into more guided assistance, the offering can flex to accommodate your needs.
How much does Premium cost?
Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace is free to eligible partners. Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace Premium is available for a fee - a list price of $1,500 USD per year. The exact amount, applicable taxes, and local currency are shown at checkout in Partner Center.
What benefits come with each experience?
Both experiences follow the same journey; Premium adds more benefits. The following table summarizes what's included.
| Benefit | Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace (Free) | Premium ($1,500/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| Self-service skilling and business enablement resources (including AI apps and agents) | Yes | Yes |
| Personalized listing optimization through App Advisor | Yes | Yes |
| Marketplace go-to-market tools and benefits | Yes | Yes |
| Participation in co-sell with Microsoft sellers (as eligibility criteria are met) | Yes | Yes |
| Azure sponsorship for customer deployment and no-cost trials (at milestones) | Yes | Yes |
| Differentiated badging via a certified software designation | Yes | Yes |
| Expanded enterprise reach through performance-based investment | Yes | Yes |
| Resources for targeted lead generation | Yes | Yes |
| Co-sell prioritization | Yes | Yes |
| Access to key partner incentives | Yes | Yes |
| Technical consultations (TP&D) during upfront development | — | Yes |
| Named Engagement Manager | — | Yes |
| Access to Partner Marketing Center Pro | — | Yes |
| Development sandbox environments & tools (Azure dev/test credits, Dynamics 365 sandboxes, M365 E5 Dev, GitHub Enterprise Cloud & Copilot, Visual Studio Enterprise, Microsoft Foundry & OpenAI) | — | Yes |
| High-level guidance on co-sell requirements and readiness | — | Yes |
| Personalized customer awareness & demand-generation channels | — | Yes |
| Choice of one enhanced marketing package per solution | — | Yes |
This table is a summary. For the comprehensive, per-stage list, see the Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace Benefits guide and the Tiers & Benefits Matrix.
Can I upgrade from the no-cost offer to Premium?
Yes. You can upgrade to Premium at any time during your active term at the full annual price. Your anniversary date is preserved — upgrading to Premium doesn't reset your 12-month benefit period.
Eligibility and enrollment
Am I eligible for Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace?
You must be an active member of the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program (MAICPP). In addition, the enrollment process checks the following criteria:
- Your solution is B2B.
- Your solution is intended for repeatable sales.
- Your solution is built on a Microsoft Cloud platform.
- You intend to publish to Microsoft Marketplace and go to market through Microsoft Marketplace.
What if I don't meet the eligibility criteria?
If your solution doesn't meet the eligibility criteria, you can't complete enrollment yet. You receive clear messaging on what's needed, and you can return to the enrollment flow once your solution meets the criteria.
How and when can I enroll if I'm new to the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program (MAICPP) or these offerings?
If you're not currently enrolled in ISV Success, using Marketplace Rewards, or holding a certified software designation, you can enroll at general availability (September , 2026). Learn about the offering, confirm your organization meets the eligibility criteria, and complete enrollment in Partner Center.
What are the enrollment steps?
Enrollment uses a single entry point and one flow for both the no-cost and premium offers:
- Start from the single entry point, which routes you into the correct flow.
- Sign in with your company's global admin credentials. Personal Microsoft accounts, partner-location accounts, and non-admin accounts aren't supported.
- Complete the enrollment questionnaire (company, contact, and solution details).
- Complete legal vetting. Your enrollment is held in a "vetting in progress" state until it completes. If your company previously passed vetting, you can proceed automatically.
- Select your offer — Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace (no cost) or premium (paid). Use Compare plans to review the differences before you decide.
Do I need to join the Microsoft Marketplace Program to enroll?
Join the Microsoft Marketplace Program so you can publish your solution. However, you don't need to join it to enroll in Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace. Join the program before you're ready to publish.
Migrating from ISV Success, Marketplace Rewards, or CSD
What if I'm currently enrolled in ISV Success?
You don't need to take any action. You're automatically enrolled and have full access to the benefits in Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace Premium.
What if I use Marketplace Rewards, have a certified software designation, or participate in Azure IP co-sell?
You're enrolled and have full access to the benefits in Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace (the no-cost offer) if you use Marketplace Rewards (but aren't enrolled in ISV Success), have a certified software designation, or participate in Azure IP co-sell. From there, you have a single dashboard, clear milestones, and defined paths to unlock more benefits or upgrade to Premium.
I'm an Azure IP co-sell partner — what changes for my co-sell status and incentive rates?
Nothing changes to your co-sell status. You maintain seller prioritization, and your customers' spend continues to count toward their Azure cloud consumption commitment.
How does renewal work if I migrate?
If you migrate to Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace, you renew once on your anniversary date. After that, your enrollment auto-renews. You keep your current anniversary date for ISV Success or Marketplace Rewards, and you can choose your preferred Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace experience at renewal.
Do I need to enroll in Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace to access partner incentives?
Yes. Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace enrollment is a baseline eligibility criterion for partner incentives.
Can I use multiple offers with Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace?
Yes. Partners can use additive offers like Microsoft for Startups and partner benefits packages alongside Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace.
Benefits and how they work
How do benefits unlock?
Benefits align to each stage and unlock as you meet Marketplace milestones. An eligibility engine unlocks benefits by using rules and signals such as Marketplace performance and solution milestones. Benefits are cumulative, and you can be active in multiple stages at once.
Where do I track my progress and benefits?
A unified dashboard in Partner Center shows a "you are here" journey map across Build and Publish → Grow → Differentiate, the requirements to advance at each phase, and whether each benefit is available or locked.
Are benefits tied to my organization or to a specific solution?
Both. Some benefits apply to your organization, such as incentives and sponsorship. Others apply to a specific solution, such as designation badging. The dashboard keeps these distinct in a single view.
Do unused benefits roll over between terms?
No. Unused benefits don't carry between terms.
How do I activate benefits?
Where the platform supports it, you activate benefits yourself in Partner Center. Premium partners can reach their named Engagement Manager directly from the Benefits page.
The journey, stage by stage
Build and publish — what's included?
Prepare your solution for Marketplace-ready publication, with clear technical and publishing guidance through Microsoft Marketplace. Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace (no cost) includes:
- Self-service skilling and business enablement resources that guide how you develop and publish your solution, including steps for AI app and agent offer types.
- Personalized listing optimization through App Advisor.
- Access to partner incentives.
Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace Premium adds:
- Technical consultations with the Technical Presales and Deployment (TP&D) team during the upfront solution development phase.
- A named Engagement Manager to stay coordinated across milestones and benefit activation.
- Development sandbox environments and tools, including Azure dev/test credits (Build and Publish internal-use rights up to $30,000 for new Premium partners), Dynamics 365 partner sandboxes, a Microsoft 365 E5 Dev subscription, GitHub Enterprise Cloud and Copilot, Microsoft Visual Studio Enterprise, and Microsoft Foundry with select AI and Copilot experiences.
What do “Marketplace-ready” and “transactability” mean?
“Marketplace-ready” means your solution meets the requirements to be published on Microsoft Marketplace. “Transactability” means your published offer is enabled for purchase through Microsoft Marketplace where applicable.
What graduates me from Build and Publish to Grow?
Publishing your app on Microsoft Marketplace moves you from Build to Publish. Your first transaction on the published app — counted as Marketplace Billed Sales — graduates you into Grow.
Grow — what's included?
Turn your Marketplace presence into early revenue by activating demand and optimizing your offer for transactability. Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace (at no cost) includes:
- Marketplace go-to-market tools and benefits.
- Participation in co-sell with Microsoft sellers as you meet eligibility criteria.
- Personalized listing optimization through App Advisor.
- Azure sponsorship for customer deployment and no-cost trials, unlocked as performance milestones are reached.
- Access to key partner incentives.
Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace Premium adds high-level guidance on co-sell requirements and readiness, access to personalized customer awareness and demand-generation channels, and access to Partner Marketing Center Pro.
How do Grow tiers work?
Your Grow tier is based on Marketplace Billed Sales (MBS) over a trailing 12-month period and is recalculated monthly. Higher tiers surface additional benefits, and your tier doesn't drop mid-term. The top tiers require at least one active certified software designation offer in Azure or Industry AI. Exact thresholds and per-tier benefits are defined in the Tiers & Benefits Matrix.
Is there accelerated support for AI apps and agents (the “AI Track”)?
Yes. Publishers with validated AI app and agent solutions can be flagged for accelerated benefits — an override that advances you and provisions the associated benefits early. When applied, your Partner Center experience reflects “Accelerated AI publisher” status, which is also considered when your solution is evaluated for a certified software designation. Specifics are confirmed at general availability.
How do I advance toward co-sell eligibility?
You advance toward co-sell eligibility by meeting Marketplace performance milestones. Emerging co-sell criteria include $100K Marketplace Billed Sales (trailing 12 months), or $100K attributable Azure consumption (trailing 12 months), or a Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC) of $1M or more. These criteria are emerging from a pilot and might change.
Differentiate — what's included?
Scale demand and expand deal-size opportunities with benefits tied to milestones, solution differentiation, and deeper alignment with Microsoft go-to-market motions. Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace (no cost) includes:
- Differentiated badging via Solutions Partner* with certified software designation.**
- Expanded enterprise reach through performance-based investment as milestones are achieved.
- Resources for targeted lead generation.
- Co-sell prioritization.
- Access to partner incentives, including incentives available to certified software designation partners.
Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace Premium adds a choice of one enhanced marketing package per solution, with options including a joint messaging framework, sales enablement, or demand generation guidance.
How do I enter Differentiate?
You enter Differentiate once you have at least one offer enrolled for a certified software designation. Active Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace enrollment is a prerequisite for any co-sell listing and for pursuing a certified software designation — publishing or performance alone isn't sufficient.
What is a certified software designation and how do I become eligible?
A certified software designation is a Microsoft-backed designation you can become eligible for to signal your solution's credibility and differentiation in competitive buying cycles. You become eligible by meeting the criteria and enrolling an offer for the designation. (See the definitions and legal footnotes.)
Grow Azure sponsorship
What is Grow Azure sponsorship and how does it work?
Grow Azure sponsorship is a set of Azure sponsorship allowances that increases with your Marketplace performance and is designed to help you grow pipeline and sales through Marketplace. You draw from your allowances in increments (grants) for approved use cases:
- Accelerate Marketplace adoption — for customers tied to Marketplace deals.
- Offset costs from free trials — used on your own tenant to offset the infrastructure costs of offering free trials.
Each grant provides 100% discounted Azure usage of first-party Azure workloads for a set validity period. Key parameters include a maximum of $200K per request; a validity period of about 90 days for amounts under $100K and 180 days for amounts of $100K or more; and customer account-team approval for amounts of $35K or more.
Azure sponsorship has important limitations — for example, it applies only to pay-as-you-go, Enterprise Agreement, and Microsoft Customer Agreement billing accounts (not CSP), and only on Commercial (Public/Global) Cloud. Your Engagement Manager and the Azure sponsorship request guide provide the full submission checklist and activation steps.
Offering term and renewal
What is the offer term?
Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace has a 12-month program term that begins on your enrollment date and applies whether you're on the no-cost or Premium offer. Your anniversary date is your start date plus 12 months.
How does renewal work for a new enrollment?
For the no-cost offer, complete one $0 renewal on your first anniversary date; after that, enrollment continues automatically. For Premium, renew each year on your anniversary date to keep Premium benefits. (Migrating partners keep their existing anniversary date — see “How does renewal work if I migrate?”)
What happens if a Premium partner doesn't renew?
If a Premium partner doesn't renew, the offer reverts to the no-cost offer — you keep the no-cost benefits rather than losing access. Reminders are sent ahead of your anniversary date.
Where to learn more
Where can I learn more, and who do I contact?
Learn more about Frontier Accelerate for Marketplace on Microsoft Learn and in Partner Center. For personalized listing optimization, use App Advisor. Premium partners can reach their named Engagement Manager from the Benefits page. Teams and Dynamics partners can understand and redeem benefits through the SDC concierge or their Engagement Manager.